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A review by thephantomfred
Superman: The Unauthorized Biography by Glen Weldon
4.0
I come to Superman as mostly a casual fan. I love the Donner films and the Bruce Timm animated series from the 90s, but my direct knowledge stops there. That did not stop me from poring over every detail in this book.
Glen Weldon's book sets out to tell Superman's story from beginning to end, identifying what has changed and (more importantly) what has remained constant. I would say that he succeeds. More importantly he compiles a very compelling story, one which any level of fan can approach and adore. I recommend S:TUB to any fans of comics, superheroes, storytelling, serial fiction, icons, myths, whimsy, absurdism, American art, or popular culture.
At 75, Superman is a vast cultural icon, and his appeal extends far beyond the panels of Action Comics. However, Weldon's book never neglects to locate the character's essence in his comic book incarnation, no matter the decade. Weldon's greatest strength as a writer (biographer?) is his desire to celebrate the silliness of comics alongside the ponderous mythmaking. He delights in poking fun at the wackadoo sci-fi of the Silver Age and the roided-out nonsense of much of 90s comics. The occasional biting remark was a welcome reminder that comic books are never a tonally consistent medium, and that mix of the absurd and portentous is often what makes the superhero comic so wonderful.
The book is not without some difficult passages. Particularly in the 50s and 60s I felt awash in names, dates and apes. But overall, this is a fascinating and lively document that should inspire us all to seek out more Superman. I am even oddly compelled to watch Superman III & IV.
Glen Weldon's book sets out to tell Superman's story from beginning to end, identifying what has changed and (more importantly) what has remained constant. I would say that he succeeds. More importantly he compiles a very compelling story, one which any level of fan can approach and adore. I recommend S:TUB to any fans of comics, superheroes, storytelling, serial fiction, icons, myths, whimsy, absurdism, American art, or popular culture.
At 75, Superman is a vast cultural icon, and his appeal extends far beyond the panels of Action Comics. However, Weldon's book never neglects to locate the character's essence in his comic book incarnation, no matter the decade. Weldon's greatest strength as a writer (biographer?) is his desire to celebrate the silliness of comics alongside the ponderous mythmaking. He delights in poking fun at the wackadoo sci-fi of the Silver Age and the roided-out nonsense of much of 90s comics. The occasional biting remark was a welcome reminder that comic books are never a tonally consistent medium, and that mix of the absurd and portentous is often what makes the superhero comic so wonderful.
The book is not without some difficult passages. Particularly in the 50s and 60s I felt awash in names, dates and apes. But overall, this is a fascinating and lively document that should inspire us all to seek out more Superman. I am even oddly compelled to watch Superman III & IV.